


Champion

by Symph95



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: Angst, Canon Compliant, Character Death, Enemies to Friends, Eternatus AU, M/M, Original Character(s), Some fluff if you squint
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-22
Updated: 2020-03-26
Packaged: 2021-02-28 01:13:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,676
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22841545
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Symph95/pseuds/Symph95
Summary: Raihan was never supposed to be champion. His entire life he had been primed to take over Hammerlocke gym and no amount of wishing or training was going to change that. But when fate throws him the Darkest Day, he finds himself taking the spot he once desperately wished for. But standing on top of the throne of Galar unwinds him and all the pieces once holding him together begin to break apart.Story based on Emp.roar's Eternatus AU
Relationships: Dande | Leon/Kibana | Raihan
Comments: 7
Kudos: 46





	1. Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> Well hello there and welcome to this story. As many of you have seen, this story is based off of [Emp.roar's](https://twitter.com/empe_roar) Eternatus AU. A quick disclaimer, while the idea is based off the AU, I took many creative liberties with this story and as a result most of it (especially the later parts) are not in complete canon with the AU. Instead this story serves as my interpretation of why certain events and characterizations take place. Also none of the characters are mine (Augus belongs to Emp.roar). With that out of the way, I hope you enjoy!

The day Raihan took his position as champion he swore to protect Galar by any means necessary. Somehow, he didn’t think that sending another challenger to the hospital fell under his oath. 

He had lost control during the finals. His opponent was the strongest participant in the league and had battled her way through the challenge at a pace faster than almost any previous candidate. In the semis she had knocked out both Nessa and Bede with ease, each battle only lasting ten minutes. Even before she stepped foot onto the pitch to face him, Raihan knew she would be a formidable opponent. 

The match was close, each of them knocking out the other's Pokemon back and forth until both only had one left. By then, their Pokemon were dynamaxed. When her gigantamaxed Hatterene had nearly knocked out his Duraludon with G-Max Smite, all restraint that Raihan tried to keep during the battle snapped. 

The first time he used Max-Steelstrike, it was in retaliation for the damage his Pokemon had taken. The second time he used it was to try to bring down his opponent’s Pokemon and knock it out. The third time was when he successfully knocked it out.

But the fourth time was to teach her a lesson. A lesson about what it meant to be champion. A lesson about the pain associated with it. A lesson about the fact that Raihan would never give up the title. 

And a lesson to Raihan that he was still falling back into his old habits.

The stadium was now empty, save for his lone soul standing on the matted turf. The crowd had cleared out hours ago with murmurs running through them as they left, but not the kind of excitement as they once were. Instead, these were low and hurried laced with secrets and rumors. 

Underneath his feet, Raihan could still see streaks of red that hadn’t yet been cleaned. Crushing them under his shoe, he twisted his ankle as if he could get rid of the evidence of the pain he caused. 

Raihan shouldn’t have been champion. At least not yet, and not like this. Not when he wasn’t the strongest, not when he hadn’t achieved his goal, and not when every part of him screamed about how much of failure he was.

_Useless._

Useless to family, useless to friends, useless to Galar. A champion, sure, but the title was empty and simply a placeholder until the rightful king could come back and take it.

Except he wasn’t.

Spitting into the turf, Raihan cursed as his phone rang. Since becoming champion, it seemed as if his ringer was constantly going off. Most calls were from the newly established Pokemon League, with the new chairman, Nessa, and other gym leaders calling him daily to give him updates over the challenge and dump more and more responsibilities on him. 

Suffice it to say, he wasn’t eager to answer.

“Who is it?” He barked at his Rotom Phone.

“Hop sir,” it said whirling to life around his face. “Would you like to answer?”

Raihan growled under his breath. 

He loved Hop, for he had that same fiery determination that Leon had. His youth, as well, became a breath of fresh air whenever Raihan needed relief from the pitch, but right now the last thing he needed to hear was that scrap’s theories of denial. Some tosh about how everything would be alright and how he wasn’t really gone. Raihan was tired of his optimism. 

But nevertheless he agreed, deciding to take a seat to steady himself for whatever the scrap had found. “Fine.”

“Hey Raihan,” Hop’s voice echoed through the phone a second later.

“Hey,” Raihan said. “What’s up?” 

_Don’t give me more bullshit,_ he wanted to say but instead bit his tongue and listened.

“We’re on our way to Hammerlocke. We discovered something interesting to share with you.” Hop said, excitement laced into his voice.

“This about those Pokemon you mentioned before?” Raihan asked, picking the blood out of the turf, and decidedly not mentioning Hop’s invitation. 

“Yeah we’ve found them! Or at least where they are resting. Gloria looked around, can’t believe they were in Slumbering Weald. Right in our backyard!”

“Fantastic,” Raihan grumbled, trying not to think about how all of this could have been avoided if they just looked closer. 

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, but we’re seriously close. We think we have found a way to awaken them, and a way to defeat Eternatus for good.”

Raihan’s hands stopped at the name; his mouth shut in a tight line. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the shadows closing in around him. 

“There are two artifacts said to bring them back,” Hop continued dispersing the shadows. “We have them, but Sonia’s saying she doesn’t know how much is fact and how much is fiction. So hopefully we get lucky with those.

“But that’s not why I called. I mean you know most of it. And we’re still meeting in Hammerlocke to discuss that stuff, right?”

Raihan scowled but hummed in affirmation. 

“Anyways, I looked into it, and you know what I said before? Well, I don’t think Leon is gone, I found proof! He’s out there and we can—”

“Yer insane,” Raihan said “Get that stubborn idea out of yer head.”

“Look I know it sounds crazy, but I’ve been reading this book. It’s about Eternatus and it says—”

“Don’t speak tosh.”

“But if you would just listen—”

“If _you_ would just listen,” Raihan snapped. “We’ve been over this, that ain’t happening. Leon is gone, got it? We can stop the Darkest Day, but we can’t bring back the dead no matter what yer research says.”

_Trust me I know,_ Raihan bit his lip, blood soon feeding into his mouth.

“But he’s not dead.” Hop’s voice cracked at the end. Raihan’s eyebrows furrowed and he sighed, pulling a final piece of turf from the destroyed circle around him. 

“Look mate, I’m going to say this for the last time. Leon is gone. He died, and he ain’t coming back. All we can do is focus on saving Galar. That’s it. Now get yer head out of the clouds, and let me know if there’s anything I need to do to defeat Externatus when we meet otherwise I don’t wanna hear it.”

With that Raihan cut the line. 

The stadium was greeted with silence as the call was shut off. From above him, Raihan saw the empty seats mocking him. The whispers of cheers from years ago reached his ears, causing him to turn. He shook his head to clear the voices. He needed to let old ghosts rest. All that mattered now anyways was stopping Eternatus, the creature that had taken everything from him.

In the corners of his vision, the shadows twisted. Claws stretched out towards him to pull him under just as they had done before. Whipping around, he turned to face them, but saw there was nothing but the screams in his mind and memories that he wished he could wash out. 

Letting out a sigh, he placed a hand to his head, giving it a small shake. What was he doing? Where was his mind? The creature wasn’t here, it was off somewhere in Galar. But in his brain, it was breathing down his neck feeding into every part of his life. The way it slithered into his vision. The way it destroyed everything he built over the past ten years. The way it took over his mind and caused him to become a monster himself. 

_Soon,_ he told himself. _It will be gone soon._

Raising to his feet, Raihan glanced back at the streak of blood-stained turf and left. 

Walking into the stadium lobby, he saw challengers from earlier that day still meandering through. Raihan tried to be inconspicuous, but with the blue cape suspended over his shoulder and a face almost as recognizable as Leon’s, everyone noticed him. Murmurs buzzed through the air as most raised a hand to acknowledge him, stepping away to let him pass through. He smiled back, cursing in his head and wishing upon every wishing star that he could be back in his bed. 

“Hey Champ,” A voice said as he threw open the locker room door. He shuddered at the name wanting to claw the words from the air and shove them down into the depths of Lake Axwell. “I saw what you did on the pitch today. Kind of a little much, don’t you think?”

Nessa stood by the row of cubbies holding Raihan’s bag in her hand. She’d cleaned herself up after her earlier defeat, but there was still a droop in her eyes. That once bright blue sparkle in them had faded into a dark blue like the ocean in a storm. 

At one point, Raihan would have ran to Nessa and threw his arms around her asking about her day and what not. They would have talked with teases and poked fun of each other’s losses. But now he was seconds away from simply turning around and leaving. 

“It’s good to see you too.” Raihan said as he went to grab his bag from her hand. She pulled it away before he could place a finger on it.

“We have some business to attend to seeing as you never pick up your phone,” Nessa said, eyeing the device buzzing through the air. 

Raihan scowled.

“What does the League want now?”

“For you to calm down,” Raihan rolled his eyes, his arms tightly crossing over his chest. “This isn’t the first time you sent someone to hospital from a battle. It’s getting out of hand.”

“I told them I shouldn’t be the champion. That’s their fault.”

“It’s not their fault for your battling style,” Nessa countered, only receiving a glare from Raihan. “Plus you’re the strongest trainer in Galar, who else were they going to choose?”

“Why not you? Seeing as yer battling style is preferred over mine.” 

“We’ve been over this. You’re strong, the best even. The public needs to see a familiar face up there to move on. You’ve been in the finals every year anyways. The only difference is now you’re on the winning side.”

Raihan winced at the comment. Nessa’s gaze only turned into a glare as she took a step forward.

“But that’s not the point. It’s your responsibility as champion to inspire everyone to become stronger. That’s what Leon wanted, but you’re doing the opposite. Beating your opponents to dust doesn’t make them want to become the best. It makes them afraid. And that’s the least of the League’s issues with you.”

“It was the damn League who forced the title on _me_!” Raihan shouted. He glared down at Nessa before cursing, turning around and storming towards the door. “Whatever, I have to meet Hop so I can stop the Darkest Day and, ya know, do my job.” 

“Wasn’t it _your_ dream to become champion and protect Galar?” Nessa called stopping Raihan in his tracks. “Isn’t that what you told Leon? Well you’re champion now and what are you doing? I don’t think nearly killing a challenger counts as ‘protecting’ Galar.”

“You don’t understand,” Raihan snapped whirling to face her. “Anyone who wants to have his title is gonna endure at least a fraction of the hell he went through. If you wanna be strong you have to deal with the consequences of yer power. And since yer so concerned, I _am_ honoring what Leon wanted. He wanted strong trainers in Galar, that's what I’m creating. 

“Besides, no one can have his throne Ness. I’m not going to let them. It’s my job as champion to protect it.”

Nessa scowled up at him as he rose to his full height. He was a good head taller than her, but the intensity in her eyes seemed to close that distance.

“You’re acting like a kid again. You were just like this with Augus. I thought you outgrew that.”

“Yeah well old habits die hard,” he said.“Just like people.”

Plucking his bag from her hands, he exited the locker room. The few people still lingering in the stadium’s lobby looked at him quizzically, and as he stormed forward, they immediately moved away. Again the whispers took to the air. 

Raihan’s feet smacked loudly against the ground as he made his way out of the stadium to Wyndon station. His hands were buried deep in his pockets to keep himself from throwing anything close by and shattering it into a million pieces.

Who the hell was Nessa to tell him what he should or shouldn’t be doing as champion? It wasn’t like he even wanted the position to begin with. He’d avoided the League for weeks rejecting every single offer they threw at him. The only reason he even decided to take the title was because his old mentor, Augus, convinced him. Otherwise he’d still be hiding from the League in the wild area destroying half the population of Sandacobras that lived there. 

And when Raihan had finally caved, when he finally stopped moping, and when he finally agreed because maybe it would help him move on, he was chastised for being too aggressive, too _feral._ The ‘King of Dragons’ they called him and even ‘Fortress’. The nicknames and whispers and rumors haunted him everywhere he went with those names becoming even more unbearable than hearing ‘champion’. 

And all the while he was doing everything Leon wanted; he was creating a stronger Galar; he was protecting Galar. And not just protecting the region, but also protecting Leon’s throne. Yet no one seemed to see his efforts. 

His phone rang again and when he looked down, he saw Nessa’s name pop on the screen. Grinding his teeth, he shoved the phone back into his pocket ignoring it as buzzed like a hive of Vespiquen. When it didn’t stop, Raihan nearly screamed.

“Turn it off!” He barked at the phone.

“Sir are you—”

“Turn. It. Off.”

His Rotom phone didn’t make another sound and instead clicked off, the vibrating no longer rattling Raihan’s brain.

Sighing, Raihan shook his head. He was exhausted with his patience running incredibly thin. He swore if someone so much as looked at him funny there would yet another person in the hospital. So when he slammed into something a second later, he nearly threw a fist. 

“Shit,” he cursed as he pulled away from the front of a building that he hadn’t realized was there. When he looked up, his stomach twisted into a knot. Of course he would lead himself here. 

In front of him was 9 Alcremies, the restaurant he always went to with Leon. After every match the two would make their way here for ‘celebratory drinks’, though every time it was only Leon toasting to his victory. 

As Raihan stared through the glass windows, he swore he could see Leon sitting at a table in the corner. His golden eyes gazed thoughtfully out the window, some grand idea lingering in his brain. Then he looked up, found Raihan standing outside and smiled, beckoning him to come in. When Raihan didn’t move, Leon got up and ran towards the front to pull him inside. But the door never opened.

Cursing, Raihan turned around commanding his feet to take him to Wyndon Station this time without any detours. But as he walked away, he couldn’t help but glance back at the restaurant. When he looked, he saw Leon again standing by the door, a smile plastered over his face.

Raihan had to let him die. It was easier that way. Just move on, he kept telling himself. Move on and then he wouldn’t be constantly annoyed, he wouldn’t be having a mental breakdown everyday, and he wouldn’t be seeing imaginary versions of his friend everywhere he went. 

_Let him go._

That’s what the world told him. And yet, some part of him clung onto Leon as if his own life depended on it. He was a hypocrite for yelling at Hop. Every time a wishing star streaked the sky he prayed that Leon would come back. Maybe Raihan would wake up and all of this would be a bad dream. His eyes would open and Leon would be there again, smiling, laughing and _alive._

Raihan knew better to wish for impossible things, but every time he thought of him all he wanted to do was be with him again. To hear his laugh, to see his smile, to battle him again for old time sake and maybe, this time, finally win and earn his title for real. 

A small smile parted his tightened lips as he stared at the sky. It was days like today they had traveled across Galar, and once the sun died, it was those nights they spent camping by the fire. All four of them young and dumb, but on an adventure that shaped them and their future. Raihan wished he could go back to those days where his only care in the world was whether or not this time he was going to beat Leon. 

But all he could do now was remember. Every laugh, every smile, every battle. Everything in his head never to be repeated, for Leon was gone and with him part of Raihan. 

Finally, Raihan found himself in Wyndon Station. Casually walking up to the ticketbooth, he bought a card for the train and sat down on a bench to wait until it arrived. Around him people of different sorts lingered about. Mothers hustling their kids along, street performers dancing alongside their Pokemon, and couples waiting in benches with hands winded together, and eyes shining brighter than any wishing star streaking the night sky.

Sighing, he pulled out his phone to pass the time and try to fit into the crowds around him. Once it buzzed on, he stared down at the list of new messages realizing quickly why he had turned it off before.

Group chat after group chat were full of notifications. Raihan didn’t bother reading them, knowing that he was the topic of conversation. 

“What a mess,” he grumbled, shaking his head. As he closed out of the tab, he saw a familiar name from the messages app. 

“Hey Rotom,” he said, his phone perking up.

“Yes sir?”

“Send a text to Leon.” 

The phone went silent for a second, giving only a small buzz.

“Sir, Leon hasn’t been online for four months.

“I don’t care, just do it.”

“As you wish,” his Rotom phone said sheepishly. “What would you like for me to send?”

Raihan hadn’t thought that through when the urge had first spiked into his brain. But clarity was rolling over him, and he knew what to say. Maybe it would help him calm down on the pitch. Maybe it would help him overcome his old habits, and maybe, if he got lucky enough, it would help him finally move on.

So he started at the beginning, the day Eternatus ruined his life for the first time.


	2. Part 2-1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well hello there! I'm back again with a another chapter and I hope you enjoy!

_ Eleven Years Earlier _

Raihan wasn’t a trouble maker. He helped out around the gym and his house, he cooked and cleaned when he needed to, and he never, ever, went against his mum’s word. As such when she told him to never, under any circumstances, to go into the power plant, he complied. Even when he wanted to tell her about his latest Pokemon battle, even when he was sad or lonely, and even on his birthday when she was missing for hours. He would still keep away, waiting until the sun had disappeared far beneath the horizon and she opened the door to their apartment.

But this time he couldn’t listen. 

He wasn’t being impatient, no he had waited for hours inside the kitchen of his house at Hammerlocke. It was just that his mum had promised to meet him for lunch and she always kept her word no matter what. The sky could be falling, the world could be collapsing, it didn’t matter. She was  _ always  _ there.

Not this time.

Earlier that morning, Raihan awoke to the first lights of the sun dancing through his bedroom accompanied by the smell of bacon cooking on the skillet. His mum didn’t even need to call him down, as he was already racing down the stairs to see her.

“Good morning sweetheart,” she said as Raihan threw his arms around her waist, smiling giddly at eye-level with her. “Isn’t someone energetic this morning?”

In her hands she held a spatula, giving the bacon a quick turn before setting it off to the side to grab the eggs from the fridge. 

“Augus and I are battling today,” Raihan exclaimed as he followed his mum around the large kitchen. “Says I’m getting better, but I gotta be more aggressive.” 

“I’m sure you will learn. It just takes practice.” His mum smiled down, opening the door to the fridge. As she reached to grab the eggs, Raihan grabbed the milk and placed it on the counter. He grabbed a bowl from the cupboard and a whisk as well, giving them to her to complete the recipe. She murmured a quick ‘thank you’ and took to cracking the eggs.

As Raihan’s mum poured the batter into another skillet, a knock on the door sounded, following the usual routine of the morning.

“I’ll get it!”  
Raihan rushed from the kitchen, turning the corner to the door and throwing it open. His head had to turn up to see the guest at the door. 

“Augus!” he cried, throwing his arms around the giant of a man.

Laughing, Augus hugged him back.

“How’s my ‘lil scrap doing?” he said, as Raihan moved from the door to let him in.

“Great! Mum’s cooking breakfast now. If ya hurry, ya might get some.”

“Get going then. I’m famished from all this gym work. Long day ahead with the League.”

With a nod, Raihan ran to the kitchen, tugging Augus along with him. 

Augus had been the gym leader of Hammerlocke for years never quite becoming champion, but recently he didn’t seem to be vying for the title. Instead, any extra hours he didn’t spend in his gym were spent training Raihan. Augus had known Raihan’s parents even before he was born, and as he grew older and Augus saw his batting skills, he had taken him in as his apprentice.

“Morning,” Augus saluted Raihan’s mum as he took a seat on the kitchen counter, his head nearly brushing the ceiling.

“Good morning Augus,” Raihan’s mum said, passing out two plates filled with eggs and bacon. “I hear you and Raihan are battling today.”

“Yer right,” Augus grinned giving Raihan a rub on his head. “It’s gonna be broadcasted too. We’re putting it up on Poketube, this lad’s idea.”

Raihan laughed and pushed Augus’ giant arm away, shoving his hat back in place before it fell to the floor.

“How lovely.” Raihan’s mum said taking her own plate and sitting beside the two. “Maybe you’ll become famous like your dad.”

Every morning the trio ate breakfast before the sun could finally take to the sky. It had become their ritual of sorts after Raihan’s dad died. Back then, Raihan hadn’t been able to sleep and woke up early in a hungry daze waiting until his mum got ready for work. He didn’t realize until a week later, that both could barely sleep. Thus their early morning breakfasts began, becoming the highlight of Raihan’s day. It wasn’t too long after that Augus joined, claiming that he, as well, couldn’t sleep.

“Ya should watch!” Raihan exclaimed between bites of his eggs. “It’s gonna be super exciting, Dynamax and everything!”

Raihan’s mum’s face tightened. Her brow drew closer as she took a bite of eggs to fill the silence. 

“Now Raihan you know—”

“Please mum, ya don’t even need to be there. I can just show ya the video.”

“Ya could meet him for lunch,” Augus received a hard glare for his comment. “Ya need to eat ya know.”

His mum sighed, before her lips pulled back into the smile. Raihan held his breath. 

“Okay, fine,” she said. “I’ll meet you here for lunch and you can show me this little video of yours. How does that sound?”

“Perfect!” Raihan threw his arms around his mum. “I love ya mum.”

“Love you too sweetheart.”

But she hadn’t showed up. It was four o’clock now, hours after their scheduled meeting time. Even Augus had left, his duties as Gym Leader of Hammerlocke pulled him away to the pitch.

Raihan knew his mum was—where she always was—down in the power plant working. As the manager of it, she spent almost every hour of the day down there. 

Her rule, however, kept ringing his head. Don’t go into the power plant, for it was dangerous, she said, people working down there all the time with hazardous equipment that would certainly hurt someone young like him. Let the experts handle it. Maybe one day when you’re older you can go down there.

Besides, she always would say, there is something down there that Mum has to keep very safe and hidden. It’s dangerous and if it gets into the world, well, things will go badly and people will be in danger. You want to keep this world safe, right?

Every time he asked she would say that, and every time she said that he would nod his head and be shooed off.

But this time, he needed to show her.

Clutching his Rotom phone in his hands, Raihan waited in front of the elevator doors. He occasionally would look down at the screen to see the footage of him and his Trapinch fighting against Augus and his Flapple in Hammerlocke stadium. Then in the little corner, he watched as the number of views continued to climb. First the count was small, maybe twenty, but after the champion had posted a comment on his video and shared it, all of Galar had swarmed the link to watch  _ him  _ battle against the leader of Hammerlocke gym. He almost felt like a celebrity.

He almost felt like his father.

That, Raihan needed to tell his mum. But that also meant going against her rule and descending into the power plant. 

He was just going to sneak in, show her the video, and get out. No harm in that, right? Plus his mum wouldn’t stay mad once she saw the video. He could almost see the grin on her face as she watched it. She would say he was a celebrity like his dad and that he was upholding his family's name. That made breaking the rule okay. 

Raihan glanced back and forth down the strip of hallway in Hammerlocke’s gym and, seeing that no one was there, he clicked the button. There was a whirl that followed making him check again to see if anyone had heard it. Yet the foyer remained empty save for his lone sole standing in front of the elevator.

A ping sounded and the door opened. Falling in, Raihan smiled. One step closer to finding his mum. And yet his smile was immediately extinguished when he looked down at a pad of keys in front of him numbered 1-18. 

He stared at the buttons until the door closed trying to recall what number his mum usually worked on. Was it 14? No, the number seemed to high. 2? That was definitely too low. Guess there was no simple sneak in operation.

Looking at the numbers one last time, he closed his eyes and randomly selected one figuring whatever button he ended up pressing would send him to a place where someone would know where his mum was. 

Raihan’s eyes flew open as the elevator began to drop. It was quicker than he expected, almost as if the entire floor underneath him had given way and was plummeting through the air. The number 6 was illuminated on the dashboard and began to glow purple. Somehow that didn’t seem like the color the numbers should’ve lined up with.

“Password,” the elevator suddenly sounded as it dropped farther and farther from what Raihan assumed was the sixth floor.

“Umm, 241?” Raihan said, guessing his mum’s favorite number. Silence greeted him, and, as he gulped, a red beam of light passed over him. He let out a squawk in response, half expecting a Rotom to come out from the walls and yell at him to go back upstairs. This was a bad choice, he should’ve just waited until his mum finished work. 

But nothing happened. No Pokemon appeared. No alarms blared. Instead the elevator screeched to a halt and the doors opened with a loud ‘bing’. Raihan jumped at the sound.

Before him stood a long dark hallway with metal walls and yellow signs illuminating the sides. The expanse was eerily silent, only the sound of Raihan’s breaths echoing through the space. Something told him to turn around, to hit the elevator button and  _ leave, _ but he was this close to finding his mum. 

_ She’ll love it,  _ he convinced himself with the shake of his head. 

Stepping out of the elevator, it immediately shut behind him. He glanced back but, after sighing, looked to the hallway with determined eyes. Glancing down in the phone in his hands one last time, he stepped forwards along the corridor.

“Mum!” he yelled with one hand cupped beside his mouth. His voice echoed against the metal halls with no reply. His frown deepened as he ventured on seeing no one. Surely, there had to be someone on duty down here. Afterall, his mum had told him it was dangerous because there were people _and_ Pokemon. But where were either?  
As Raihan continued down the hallway, he called for his mum hoping she would be down there. So far, his chances weren’t looking too good. One long hallway with no one in sight. He should just turn back and go to another floor. The place was clearly deserted, and if his mum had heard him, she would’ve come running to shoo him off.

Just as he turned around to walk back to the elevator, he saw something glow red out of the corner of his eye. When he looked down at the Dynamax band he was wearing from his earlier battle with Augus it shined a bright crimson. The light pulsed with the energy tugging him down the hall. 

“What?” he asked as though it could respond. “What’s nagging ya?”

The sensation only grew as the energy shoved him forward causing him to stumble and nearly drop the Rotom phone in his hands. Letting the device go and instead whirl around him, Raihan decided to follow the pull of his band. 

“Sir I wouldn’t…” His phone gave a strange buzz, something it had never done before.  
“Ya alright?” Raihan asked.

“St-strange energy-y s-source detected.” 

At the broken behavior of his phone Raihan almost turned around, but his band seemed to have a mind of its own, tugging harder on his wrist until he was  _ forced  _ to step forwards. 

It didn’t take long for him to discover what he was being dragged towards. As he shuffled a few steps, the wall opened to a ramp leading to a massive platform containing something that resembled a giant egg. On the wall next the opening read the text  _ Lord Raihart’s Slayed King. _

Raihan’s eyes widened at the name and he glanced back at the egg in front of him, sitting perfectly still as though it were harmless. This must’ve been the thing that his mum was always going on about. The thing she had to protect. 

The thing that was  _ dangerous.  _

This wasn’t a good idea, Raihan quickly concluded. His mum wasn’t here, it didn’t matter anyway. He’d just show her later. But as he turned to leave, a bright beam shot from his Dynamax band. The streak of red shot towards the egg and for a second nothing happened. The air seemed to still, and all noise fell from the air. Even Raihan could barely hear the sound of his hammering heart.

Then the egg shook once and a beam of red energy shot out of it in all directions. Raihan didn’t have time to brace himself from attack and found his body being thrown into the wall behind him. His head struck the metal and the world spun in a pained daze. Blotches of white covered his vision as he tried to stand to get out of there, but everything in front of him was swirling and shifting and morphing until he was forced to collapse back on the ground. 

He blinked as he tried to orient himself, the area around him moving in and out of a hazy daze. 

“You…” A voice hissed drawing Raihan back to reality. Before him, red energy collected itself into some sort of dragonesque form. “You are him…”

“You’re back,” it continued, forcing Raihan to curl back, pressing further into the wall. 

“I don’t know what yer talking about,” Raihan said. “But ya got the wrong bloke.”

“No.”

Raihan winced as the energy shot outwards, a shriek ringing through the halls forcing a headache onto him. He clutched his temples, almost bowing to the spiking form.

“No, no, no. Not again… you’re not… again.”

Raihan’s hand immediately went down into his pockets as the pain faded, his fingers brushing against the Pokeball waiting there. 

As the energy continued spiraling out of control, twisting, and curling, it seemed to also be taking form. Long wings protruded from a skeletal back and sharp spikes of talons drew close to Raihan’s face.

“No… not again,” the creature’s body twisted with the words, stretching and shrinking with every syllable. “You’re not… again.”

“End you…” The words cracked energy through the air as the creatures flat head formed inches away from Raihan’s shaking body. 

“I must… end you.”

Raihan threw out his Trapinch, commanding it to use protect just as the creature’s claws came slamming down. However, the protective barrier did nothing to stop the attack as talons passed through it. The only reason Raihan wasn’t shredded was because he rolled out of the way at the last possible second. And even as he dodged most of the attack, the creature still caught him with the edge of his claw.

His hissed from the pain seeping into his cheek, his finger drawing blood from the cut. Before him his Trapinch was knocked out from assault. The creature’s head studied the Pokemon before it in recognition. Raihan took the distraction as his cue to jump to his feet and run the elevator. But even before he made a step, the creature noticed and let out another scream.

The pitch slammed down on Raihan forcing him to curl down and cover his ears. The cry echoed through the halls magnifying the sound and doubling the pain in his head. 

“End you,” the creature's cracked voice said again. “I must…”

Raihan rolled to the side, just barely avoiding the talons coming down on him. His feet scrambled to find footing and get away as one of the red wings protruding from the creatures back came to slam down on him. However, he wasn’t fast enough and found himself swept to the side. His head collided painfully with the wall again and, again, he was seeing stars.

“Get away!” he shrieked trying to push the creature back as it drew closer, but only found his hands pass through the red energy. 

“Not again,” the creature said, drawing back it’s wings to attack. “Good...bye.”

Raihan let out a scream, covering his face as his life flashed before his eyes. But instead of feeling his stomach gutted, he found himself flying across the room as two arms carried him to safety. 

Prying his eyes open, they widened further.

“Mum,” he cried as she held him against her chest.

“You’re okay,” she cooed hugging him closer. “You’re safe now.” 

And Raihan could tell she meant it. She always kept her promises. The creature in front of them would be gone soon, he knew, then everything would be fine. 

With one hand and a flick of her wrist, her Duraludon stood between them and the creature whose shape was now spinking and morphing just as it had before.  
“Stand down!” Raihan’s mum shouted. “This is your one warning.”

“No,” the creature's voice crackled again, its red shape spiking and morphing with each tone again. “End you… I must…”

“You… won’t end me again.”

Another scream pierced the air and again Raihan curled to escape the noise and pain radiating through his skull. As he did so, however, his mum stood her ground. With narrowed eyes, she took a step back.

“Duraludon dragon pulse,” Raihan’s mum commanded, her Pokemon nodding his heading and sending a beam straight at the creature. Or more like straight through. The blast passed harmlessly through the creature slamming into the walls and leaving a giant hole. 

His mum sent out another attack on the creature which was just as ineffective. Another hole tore into the wall. The only thing that hit the creature was small debris thrown from the wall. Raihan realized just how screwed they were. 

As if the creature was laughing at their futile attempt, its body stretched and twisted, morphing back into that dragonesque shape. Its flat head lowered, and its eyes narrowed. With one sweep of its wings, the Duraludon protecting Raihan and his mum crashed into the wall, collapsing into an unmoving pile. 

With widened eyes and a frozen body, Raihan watched as the creature drew closer, closer,  _ closer  _ until it seemed to be breathing on their faces.

“You won’t hurt him,” Raihan’s mum said, throwing him behind her. “You won’t hurt  _ anyone  _ Eternatus.”

The creature seemed to laugh again.

“He… you… can’t protect this world.”

Glancing down at Raihan, his mum’s eyes pleaded to him. Through the hard shine in that azure blue, he could see her quivering. She stared a second too long, her brow dropped slightly too low. Her promise was breaking. 

The second one of the day. 

“Mum no,” 

“Run.”

With a hard shove, Raihan was pushed as two wings slammed into the place he once stood. The place where his mum stood.

“Mum!” he shrieked as the two sharp points in the creatures wings were drawn from her body. With a small cough, her body crumbled to it and with it, Raihan’s world.

Everything around Raihan fell except him and his mum. The distance dividing them was too great and only seemed to grow farther and farther. She was fading, turning from away and leaving him behind. 

“It’s to keep you safe,” she almost said. “I’m sorry Rai.”

If she was going to work, she would’ve ran back and kissed his head, stroked his hair and wished him well. He would’ve pleaded to come and she would turn him away saying it was dangerous. And he would’ve complied. But this time he didn’t. 

This time he had gone down. This time he had broken her rule and went down into the power plant. And this time she wouldn’t be coming back to scold him away.

She would never protect him from the horrors of this world again. 

Raihan screamed as the creature threw his mum’s body to the side, discarding it like a pile of trash. His cheeks were flaming matching the same red of the creature as tears burned hot down his face.

“Mum!” he shook, wanting to run for his mum and save her. Maybe it wasn’t too late. Maybe if he rushed to a hospital she could…

But that didn’t matter. He couldn’t protect her because he couldn’t even protect himself. He would be dead if he took a step forward, for he would be gutted like a Magikarp from the creature.

This was his fault. If he hadn’t been selfish enough to show her the video. If he had just  _ listened _ . Then this creature wouldn’t be here and his mum would still be alive. 

But now he was here, alone. His mum gone, his dad dead from years ago. It was only him. Him and this monster. 

As Raihan stared down at the crumpled form of his mum, her words ran through his head. 

_ I have to protect this world. _

She had always said that. And  _ this  _ was what she was protecting the world from. He had already failed her once. He wouldn’t do it again.

It was the least he could do for killing her. 

A growl escaped his throat as he rose to his feet. No longer did he care about the power this creature possessed. No longer did he care that this thing could take him out with the swipe of its talon. He only cared about defeating it, killing it, making sure it never  _ ever  _ killed another person again.

Grabbing a piece of debris from the ground, Raihan charged forwards with a scream. He chucked the piece into the face of the creature, the material passing through harmlessly. The creature gave him a look before another shriek erupted from its mouth. 

This time, Raihan barely felt the pain pounding in his skull. It was too distant, almost like it wasn’t there at all. He knelt only to duck under the talon swiping at him. 

As he found the ground, his hand brushed against a sharp piece of metal sticking fup. With a tug, it was free and in his hands. When he stared up at the creature, it seemed to freeze. Its body solidified for a moment, and Raihan took the chance to stab into its chest.

A shriek filled the air, this time louder than before. The pain, however, barely registered in Raihan’s brain as he made another grab for the debris around him. As the creature flailed its wings in an attempt to attack him, Raihan chucked the stone in his hands. The force hit back one of its wings, directing the attack to the wall on the right of it. The other one slammed down inches from Raihan’s face. 

Before the creature could draw back its wing, Raihan grabbed onto it and threw it as hard as he could at the wall. To his surprise he watched as the creature was flipped onto its side and thrown into the wall. 

Raihan’s eye widened and he scrambled backwards as giant purple hands grabbed onto the creatures tail and began to throw it side to side. Another shriek echoed through the air and Raihan covered his ears as his head was yet again split open, the pain finally overcoming the adrenaline fueling his veins. 

When his eyes opened and he uncurled from his ball, he saw a gloved hand outstretched towards him. 

“Are you alright?” the champion asked Raihan as he sat there gaping up at her. 

What was  _ she  _ doing here? 

Amid the pain and destruction and death what would someone perfect like the champion be doing here?

As if reading his thoughts she continued with, “I heard there was trouble from Augus, I came running as fast as I could.” 

Raihan could only sit there frozen, staring at her. It was like a knight in shining armor had come to save him. 

When everyone was gone, when everyone he loved was dead, somehow she,  _ the champion,  _ was there. 

“I…” he breathed out finally grasping her hand. “Yeah, I’m fine… but my mum.”

The champion’s eyes dropped. She already knew. Her arms wrapped around him, pulling him close.

He wanted to fall apart right then and there. His world had been destroyed. His mum, the only person in his family he had left, was gone.

And it was all his fault. 

“I’m sorry I was too late,” she said as if it were  _ her  _ fault.“Augus took her to the hospital. But I…” her eyes told the rest of the story as she pulled away. That normal glint in them when she battled was gone. But it soon hardened as a tight smile pulled her lips back. “You’re safe now. I’m going to get rid of this thing and then it will be all over. I promise.”

And she didn’t break it. 

_ Mum, I’m sorry,  _ Raihan thought as she turned to deal with the creature who grew weaker by the second.  _ I couldn’t protect the region from this monstrosity like you needed. But… the champion can. _

_ I'll make it up to you, mum,  _ he vowed as the energy began disappearing and the creature's cries grew weaker and weaker.  _ I’ll… become champion and then I can protect the region. I’ll keep the world safe. _

_ Just like you wanted. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahh ~angst~ well I hope you liked it and continue reading :D Just to let everyone know the formatting of the chapters; there will be six parts and within those parts will be mini-sections which constitute the dashes you see. After realizing that each part would be incredibly long and also because I wanted to release chapters more often, I went for a sectioned off approach, I hope you guys don't mind! In other news, due to the Coronavirus we're off school for three weeks the next chapters should come quicker. I hope to see you all soon!


	3. Part 2-2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well hello there! How is everyone doing? I hope you guys are all okay with what's happening right now. Anyways, if you're having a bad day I hope this cheers you up a bit!

_ One year later _

It was midnight. The depths of night emerged, taking Galar to a deep sleep under its darkness. The stars pulled away the activities of the day, while the moon brought peace to the towns and cities.Yet it could not pull the stadiums under its lull.

In Hammerlocke, the gym flurried with excitement. Despite the absence of a crowd, the intensity of battle erupted in cries and crashes that mirrored those of the cheers of a real match. 

“Duraludon Max Steelstrike, then follow it with Max Wrymwind!”

Raihan’s dyamaxed Pokemon let out a roar before slamming a fist into the ground. Spikes of metal erupted, trapping Augus’ Flapple in place. As the Pokemon thrashed to escape its steel cage, Raihan’s Duraludon charged forwards with a swarm of purple energy blasting into the Flapple.

Raihan held his breath as dust kicked up in the stadium hoping this time he might get the win. His attacks powered through this far, maybe they would be enough.

“Nice lad,” Augus grinned. “Yer gettin’ stronger. But it’s gonna take more than that to beat me.”

As the dust finally settled, Raihan saw the Flapple’s wings curled around it blocking the attack. With a cry, it uncurled itself and sent its own Max Wrymwind back at Duraludon, knocking Raihan’s Pokemon back and to the ground. 

For the past year all Raihan wanted was strength. He’d trained for hours a day, his Pokemon battling each other until the sun went down and he got shooed off to bed. Even then, he’d train, doing push-ups, sit-ups, and whatever other exercises fit into the small room he held at Augus’ home.

But it seemed all that training was still not enough. 

Raihan hated being weak. He hated failing. He hated watching his Pokemon get slammed down time and time again as his goal grew farther and farther out of reach. 

But, this time he wasn’t going to lose.

“Duraludon stand up,” his Pokemon obeyed, shakily rising to its feet. “Give it everything ya got and hit ‘em with a flurry of Max Wrymwind.”

Letting out a roar, his Duraludon swung its arm down, clashing it into the ground. At the impact, purple energy began to swarm around it, growing bigger and bigger and bigger like a storm brewing in the distance. With a stomp of its foot, the energy dispersed, all of it streaming towards Augus’ Flapple.

“Block it with Max Overgrowth.” Augus commanded.

But before any vines could erupt, the floor began to shake as spikes of steel covered the ground tangling with the vines and keeping them at bay.

“Oh no ya don’t Augus,” Raihan ginned wildly. “Now Duraludon Max Steelstrike!”

The metal spikes rose, growing higher and higher until they lurched forwards, effectively cutting through the vines and slamming Augus’ Pokemon’s back. The attacks battered at it, throwing the Flapple this way and that into wall after wall.

And Augus… shook. His eyes lit with a bright shine that Raihan only saw in championship matches. 

A grin whittled itself into Raihan’s cheeks.  
“Again Duraludon! Finish this with Max Wrymwind.”

The energy collected again and shot forwards. The spikes of metal slammed Augus’ Flapple one way while the purple beams slammed it the other. Up, down, left, right, the Pokemon could not escape the series of attacks obliterating it. 

_ I’m not losing, _ Raihan thought over the cries of battle.  _ I’m not losing. I’m getting stronger. I’m— _

But as he watched a beam of steel shoot too quick and too close, the scene changed.

He returned to the power plant. Back in the basement watching as that swirling red energy come closer until it solidified, hardened, and threw its sharp wings into—

“Duraludon!” 

Raihan’s Pokemon hesitated. The attack stopped as his Duraludon glanced back at him. Raihan met its gaze with his heart hammering, the corners of his vision still seeing that creature drawing nearer. 

“Flapple fly out of there and push back with Max Wyrmwind.”

As the attack filled the air and slammed against his Duraludon, Raihan froze. His voice failed him, and he didn’t stop the energy from knocking his Duraludon down and out.

So close yet still so far.

Grinding his teeth, Raihan ran over to his Pokemon as it shrunk back to normal size, flames billowing above it. 

“Nice job,” he forced a smile onto his lips tending his Duraludon’s wounds in their nightly routine.“Yer improving.”

His Pokemon gave a small cry in response. Raihan held a hand out, giving its metal head a soft pat.

“We’ll get ‘em tomorrow. Ya were close there. Rest up now.”

His Duraludon nodded and a second later was back in its Pokeball. 

Raihan sat there for a second, his smile immediately dropping. His teeth went back to their grinding as he slammed a fist into the blue ground below. Some trainer he was, what was this? Twelve and nil? 

Even after training of years with Augus, he’d never won. Not even in that damn video he was so proud of.

_ Useless,  _ he thought as he rose to his feet.  _ I’m not strong enough.  _

This time he'd hesitated. He’d been so close, so  _ aggressive _ , but then he backed away because all he saw that creature doing the same thing.

And he thought he could be champion? Who was he kidding. 

“Hey congrats that was really—

“Another!” Raihan screamed, cutting off Augus as he approached. “Let’s do another round.”

Augus stopped walking, a frown turning down his grinning face.

“Look lad—”

“Another!” Raihan shook his head. “C’mon Augus. I gotta get better.”

Despite the plea in his voice, Augus’ expression didn’t change. Instead, he simply sighed and closed the distance between the two placing a hand on Raihan’s shoulder.

“I need to train more. Just one!”

“That was our fifth round,” Augus said. “Yer man’s old ya ‘lil scrap. I got work tomorrow.”

Raihan bit his lip then spun around. 

“Fine, whatever, get some sleep. I’ll train myself.”

But as Raihan’s hand went for his pocket, he felt something grip his wrist. He looked back and saw Augus’ eyes staring straight into his. Casting down, they stared at the calluses and blisters ripping open Raihan’s palm, and Augus sighed.

“Yer doing great lad. Ya don’t need to push yerself any more tonight.”

Raihan’s tongue clicked. He pulled back his hand, examining the sore spots. 

“I lost, how can ya say that?”

“‘Cause ya fought hard. Ya had me on the ropes there. Must say, I’m impressed. First time ya ever been that aggressive.”

Raihan relaxed a bit as he stared into the grin on Augus’ face. It was the same one he had when Raihan’s Trapinch had evolved. The same one that had urged him to believe that he was strong, or at least he was  _ becoming  _ strong.

“But… I have to get stronger.”

“And ya will. Nah, ya already  _ are _ .”

Augus found Raihan’s eyes again before he gave a sigh. “I wasn’t gonna say anything ‘til tomorrow but ‘suppose yer ready now.” 

Raihan tilted his head to the side. “What?”

“The Gym Challenge is coming up, yeah?”

Raihan nodded. Of course he knew that. Every year he watched in wonder as challengers made their way through the contest. He imagined himself standing on the pitch like them, battling it out with the best of the best. And when they came to Hammerlocke, he always had front row seats as he cheered on Augus. 

For years he’d been dreaming of joining, but it always seemed like something far off. Maybe one day, he’d always tell himself. For who would endorse him?

“I’m gonna endorse ya.”

Raihan convinced himself he misheard Augus. Endorse _him?_ No no no, something was off.  
“What?”

“I said I’m gonna endorse ya, lad.”

The world seemed to turn on its axis. It was that simple, huh? Only four words. But they meant everything to Raihan. 

Years of wishing, years of hoping that  _ this year  _ he could take on the challenge. Now, his goal of becoming champion seemed in sight, like if he stretched his hands far enough he could take it. 

His chest swelled as he saw it in his mind’s eye. The stadium, the cheers, the battles. He saw his team before him, all of them fully evolved and ready to take on any opponent out there. Ready to defeat  _ anything  _ out there.

He would go all the way, he promised himself. Nothing would stand between him and the champion.

“See, I need ya to take over the Hammerlocke Gym.”

Scratch that.  
“What do ya mean?” Raihan said as a hole began to grow in his chest, tearing through that swell and reducing it to ashes.

“Well,” Augus said as his eyes cast to the ground. “After… what happened with the power plant, realized I need to research. That thing down there... it’s not gone yet. Not completely.”

“But I thought the—”

“She contained it. Got rid of whatever that energy was. But she said it wasn’t really  _ gone.  _ Just disappeared off somewhere. That it would be back. And I gotta be there when it does.”

A light smile pulled against Augus’ hard features as he looked up; his eyes still shining with that same intensity.  
“Can’t have what happened to yer mum happening again, so I gotta research and train how to take this thing down. In the meantime, I need someone to look after Hammerlocke. Keep it safe, keep challengers at bay. Ya know that stuff.

“Yer the best choice I got.”

Raihan didn’t know if he should be smiling or not. On one hand, the compliments and praise cast a smile over his face and a swell in his chest. Becoming a gym leader was no small feat. Most would be happy with the offer even being given.

Not only that this was  _ Augus  _ asking him. The same Augus who trained him for years and took him in when everyone he loved perished. The same Augus who fought for him, who comforted him, who raised him. 

But Raihan aimed higher. He wanted to be  _ more  _ than a gym leader. Not that the position was bad or anything. But he kept seeing the champion in front of him. He kept seeing her taking down the beast that destroyed his world.

And he wanted to be like her. To protect the world. 

“Whaddaya say lad? Wanna take it?”

Silence filled the air. If he took this offer, he’d never get to go to the Champion Cup. Instead, he’d be doing his initiation process, paper work, all that stuff after getting his eighth badge.

But that also meant he could never be champion. 

Raihan frowned as his desires clashed with reason. 

_ Last time ya acted selfishly,  _ a voice filled his head forcing him to still.  _ Yer mum died. Ya want that to happen again?  _

He gulped.

Become the champion or the Gym Leader. Honor the wishes of the last person by his side or his own?  
“Okay,” he breathed, forcing the edges of his mouth into a toothy grin. “I’ll become Hammerlocke’s Gym Leader.”

Augus smiled back at him, rubbing a fist through his hair. Raihan reached up and pushed it away, adjusting his hat back into place trying to keep his smile up. 

“Excellent. Always knew I could trust ya ‘lil scrap.”

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Augus wasn’t at the opening ceremony. But besides that, it was everything Raihan dreamed of.

The stadium was even more enormous than he imagined. He had watched hundreds of matches in Motostoke stadium, and maybe it was the packed arena and cries from the crowd, but it never seemed so vast and intimidating. There were thousands of people standing, cheering, and chanting as the Gym Leaders and contestants alike made their way across the stadium. Underneath it all, he felt so small like a Magikarp in an ocean. It was like a dream. 

And Raihan couldn’t stop smiling. From the ground beneath his feet, to the blinding lights gleaming in his eyes, it was even more than he ever imagined. He could feel his chest swelling as people pointed down to him as if they were rooting for him to go all the way. Maybe they were. Maybe he  _ would  _ be able to go all the way. To the Champion Cup and beyond. 

It was perfect and made him feel, for even a brief moment, that anything was possible.

As he walked back into the stadium’s foyer, he could still hear the crowd chanting. The adrenaline still lingered in his veins and longed to be out on the pitch again but this time battling. This time  _ winning.  _

_ Soon,  _ he told himself as he glanced anxiously at the stadium doors closing behind him.  _ I’ll be battling soon.  _

And soon enough he’d be the—

_ Gym leader of Hammerlocke. _

The foyer was a buzz of activity. Gym challengers clotted the halls in small groups talking excitedly about matches to come. There had to be at least a hundred competitors taking part this year, a substantial increase from before. Raihan figured it had to do with rumors of a certain position being open.

As Raihan wove through the crowd, his phone gave a loud buzz. Grabbing it, he saw an array of texts before him from traveling plans to his friend’s latest comment.

**I’m in the lobby, where are you?**

**Out there,** Raihan texted back searching around him for a landmark.  **Right in front the stadium doors.**

He only had to wait a few seconds before she bounced up to him.

“Hey Raihan,” Nessa said, throwing a tight blue braid over her shoulder. “That was some opening wasn’t it?”

Raihan nodded, the adrenaline still lingering through him as though the crowd were before him. “Never seen anything like that. The TV misses so much.”

“I know right? I never realized how big the stadium was. And the Gym Leaders! They were so much more intimidating in person,” Nessa shuddered with a grin taking over her cheeks. “The battles are going to be so intense.”

“If ya make it to them.”

“Hey I’ve been training. I bet I could beat you.”

“Wanna test that?”

“Nah, let’s wait until the Cup so I can embarrass you in front of Galar.”

Raihan was about to retort back that there was no way he would lose when he realized there was no way he would be competing there.

By then, he’d be the Hammerlocke Gym Leader.

“By the way, I didn’t see Augus out there today, everything okay?” Nessa asked.

Raihan bit his lip, looking down. “Yeah. He’s fine, just got busy.”

“Busy,” Nessa said. “It’s the opening ceremony. I thought—”

“Well he couldn’t come.”

Raihan didn’t want to bring up that whole can of worms. Yes, Augus hadn’t come. Yes, he knew why. And yes, it was far more important than going to the opening ceremony.

His  _ last  _ opening ceremony.

Raihan felt his breakfast leap in his stomach. 

But he told himself this was a grand occasion, and he shouldn't concern himself over such matters. Augus couldn’t come, that was fine. It didn’t hurt… right?

“We should get going then,” Nessa said, shaking him from his thoughts. “I gotta grab my things from the Budew Inn. “I’ll meet you back here then?”

“Yeah. Have fun.” Raihan waved as she dashed off. 

While she disappeared into the crowd, a chill ran over his spine and his stomach lurched again. He tried not to look at the replay on the big screens and see the seven gym leaders on stage.

No, he was endorsed, he was in the challenge now. No reason to worry.

As Raihan convinced himself his stomach ache and drooped shoulders were just caused by something other than disappointment, he crashed into someone’s back.

“Ow,” he said as his senses came back to him. “Sorry for running into ya.”

“You’re fine,” the boy in question said turning around and offering a smile. “You aren’t hurt right?”

“No, no. You?”  
The boy scoffed crossing his arms over his chest and tossing back his purple hair. “Nope. These muscles are made of steel!”

Raihan’s head tilted to the side.

The boy simply grinned at him, before something seemed to flash through his golden eyes. “Oh you’re…?” 

It was his turn for his head to fall to the side. A finger raised to his mouth before it suddenly pointed. Raihan lept back, his teeth clenching.

“You’re the one Augus endorsed. The one who is taking his spot right? Row… Rain… ”

“Raihan.”

“Ah, that’s it! Mustard told me about you! Well, he told me about Augus, but I suppose that includes you since he’s your mentor and all.”

Through the kid’s mumbling, Raihan took a second to look him over. Raihan was far taller than him, by at least four inches. On his dark skin were litters of bruises and his hands were scraped open mirroring Raihan’s own. 

His eyes narrowed.

“I saw Augus wasn’t at the ceremony today,” the boy continued on, pulling Raihan back to reality. “Was there another accident or something?”

“No, there wasn’t,” Raihan’s voice lifted with an edge to it.

“Then why wasn’t he there? I mean this should be his last challenge.” 

“He had more important things to do than satisfy ya.”

The boy’s mouth clenched shut while his eyes narrowed. 

“What’s more important than the opening ceremony? I’d say he’s a coward. Since what happened last year he’s disappeared off the face of the earth. A Gym Leader like him is strong. He shouldn’t waste away his strength like he does now. Unless he’s accepted he’s weak and has decided to step down because of that.”

Raihan let out a growl, his hand grabbing onto the boy’s shirt and pulling him in. His other hand trembled, taking every ounce of his self control to keep himself from swinging it at the other’s face. 

“Listen here ya little—”

“Hey ankle-biters,” an old woman approached the two. “Save your squabbling for the pitch. No use in destroying the stadium before you even get your badges.”

Raihan and the boy flashed her a glare.  
“That’s fine. Less challengers for me to go through if you two get disqualified,” The woman waved her hand. “I’ll let security deal with you.”

Suddenly, Raihan recognized the woman. The Gym Leader.

“Crap,” Raihan muttered under his breath. “Sorry ‘bout that ma’am. I didn’t mean any trouble.”

Opal raised an eyebrow then waved her gloved hand.

“You two… Try not to let that rivalry of yours get in the way of your goals.”

_ Rivals?  _ Raihan’s face twisted as he looked at the boy whose blank eyes made it apparent he didn’t recognize the gym leader.  _ With that wanker?  _ He almost scoffed at the thought.

Raihan watched as Opal disappeared into the crowd before spinning back around.

“Yer still—”

The boy’s gaze suddenly turned on him with an intensity that made Raihan stiffen; his mouth slamming shut. “Guess we’ll have to settle this later. See you on the pitch then,  _ rival. _ ”

Suddenly, his lips pulled into a smile, one that caught the sun from the windows and filled the lobby with a glimmering shine. One that was so vastly different from the glint in his eyes. “Take care.”

And with that the boy disappeared into the crowd.

“I’m going to kill him.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leon has arrived :DDDD I hope you guys enjoyed this. Also I have a little something something being published on here some time this week so to all you RaihanxLeon lovers out there you should check it out ;) Anyways stay safe everyone and I will see you soon :D

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed the story so far! All comments and criticisms are appreciated and I hope to see you all soon with the next chapter :) Also you can find my twitter [Here](https://twitter.com/Hakai10957)


End file.
